Fish lure



Sept. 16, 1941. E. F. HOGAN FISH LURE Filed Sept. l, 1938 Patented Sept'. 16, 1941 FISH LURE Edward F. Hogan, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 1, 1938, Serial No. ,227,936

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to lures or baits for fishing. It is particularly adaptable to lures that are used for casting, and has as its principal object the provision of a lure which is essentially free of any projections that will cause it to become entangled in weedbeds or brush.

The present, invention contemplates the provision of a lure of this character wherein the hook or hooks will be normallyheld in concealed or retracted position so that they will not project and become entangled, even though the lure strikes the water or weeds or brush with considerable force. The lure embodying the present invention comprises, with the features just mentioned, means for projecting the hook or hooks beyond the body of the lure at the instant a pulling force is applied between the line and the body of the lure. This pulling force must exceed a certain minimum amount in order to cause the" hooks to project. The arrangement is such, however, that if a fish strikes the lure and thus exerts a sudden pull, or the sherman jerks the lure when it is held by a sh, the hooks will be immediately projected. Once projected, the hooks are backed up by a solid backing so that they will not readily collapse again into the body of the lure.

The features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully as the descriptionA proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form 'of the invention ls shown. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing and description are illustrative only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan sectional View taken on the line I--I of Fig. 2 and illustrates a lure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line I-I of Fig. 2, but illustrating the parts in a changed position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

consists of a base I0 and a cover II. The construction preferably is such that the operative partsfof the lure are substantially' all mounted upon the base I0, and the cover II is adapted to be applied after the operating parts are assembled upon the base. The material of which the base I0 and the cover II is constructed may be any suitable material, such, for example, as molded compositions, wood, or various metals and alloys. The shape of thef'body of the lure may, of course, be varied to imitate various types of natural or live bait, such, for example, as minnows, frogs, etc.

The present invention concerns itself primarily with the provision of means whereby one or more hooks such as those shown at I2 and I3 may be mounted in the body of the lure so that normally they are concealed within a recess or recesses of the body, ready to be projected whenever a sh strikes the lure. The base III is cut out intermediate its ends to provide a shallow, transversely extending recess I4, and the cover II is also recessed as indicated at I5 to provide space 1n which the hooks I2 and I3 may be concealed. Forwardly of the recess I4, the base I is provided with a smaller recess I6 which is directly opposite a recess II in the cover II. The purpose of the recesses I6 and I'I is to provide a. space for a. spring I8 which is coiled around a combined line attaching and cam element i9. The base I0 is grooved at 20 and 2| to provide guides for the element I9, which is movable endwise with respect to the body of the lure.v

The hooks I2 and I3 are pivotally mounted on the base I0 by means of screws 22 and 23. It will be noted that the screw 22 is set down into the base Il) so that the top thereof comes substantially at the level of the junction between the base I0 and the cover II. The base I0 is recessed to permit setting the screw 22 in this lower position so that the hook I2 will lie fairly close to the bottom of the recess I4. The hook I2 is attached to the screw 22 by the eye I2a of the hook. An arm 24 is also pivoted on the screw 22 and is fastened to the shank of the hook I2 by a ngerv25 which is formed integral with the arm 24 and bent over the'hook as shown clearly in Figs. l, 3 and 5. The arm 24 also hasan ear 26 projecting upwardly from it to which a spring 2I is attached. The spring 21 is under tension which tends to pull the hook; I2 into the body of the lure to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The cover II is provided with a recess 2 8 directly over the spring 21 so as to provide space for the spring above the member I9. The oppocover II is recessed, as shown at 3l, to receive the head` of the screw 23. The hook I3 has its eye I3a pivoted on the screw 23. Also pivoted on the screw 23 is an arm 32 which is similar to the'.

'I'he arm 32 has a finger 33 thereon arm 24. which is bent over the shank of the hook I3. The arm 32 has also an ear 34 to which the spring 21 is attached. Owing to the relative positions of the screws 22 and 23, the planes of movement of the hooks I2 and I3 are separated. It will be noted that the ear 26 is longer than the ear 34 so as to hold the spring 21 above the member I9.

The member I9 is so constructed as to maintain separation of the hooks I2 and I3. For this purpose it is provided with a c'am body portion 35 which is interposedk between the barbed ends of the hooks I2 and I3. 'I'he cam body portion 35 has a top camming surface 36 which is engaged by the hook I3, and a bottom camming surface v31 which is engaged by the hook I2. 'I'hese camming surfaces engage the back curved parts of the hooks and are utilized to force the hooks out-v ward into active, or projecting, position. The operation of the hooks and the camming surfaces will be more fully described hereinafter. 4The body portion 35 is provided at its rear-most end with a downturned guide lug 38 at one sideedge and an upturned guide lug. 39 at the other side edge. These guide lugs, as shown best in Fig. 7, ride in corresponding grooves 4I) and 4I which are formed in the base I and the cover Il, re-f spectively, so that the lugs 38 and 39 do not project beyond the outline of the vbody of the lure.

It should be noted that all of the hook operating mechanism is completely within the` outline of the body of the lure, the only projection being the frontend of the line attaching and cam member I9. The recesses I4 and I5 of course open to the opposite sides of the lure so that the hooks I 2'and I3 may project. However, when the hooks are retracted the exterior of the lure is freeof any projections which would entangle it in the weeds, rocks or brush.

`Referring now to the element I9 and its operation in projecting the hooks I2 and I3, it will be noted that this element has a shoulder at 42 forming a stop for the one end of the spring I8. The spring I8 is under compression between the shoulder 42 and the forward ends of the recesses I6 and I1. Thus the force of this spring tends to hold Athe element I9 in the position shown in Fig. 1, where the cam surfaces 36 and 31' are so far back that the hooks I2 and I3 are free to recede into the body of the lure. 'The spring 21 will of course insure their being drawn into the body of the lure because it is under tension.

The cam surfaces 36 and 31 are so shaped with respect to the curved backs of the hooks I2 and I3 that it requires a certain substantial miniymum pull on the member I9 to overcome the force of lthe spring I8 and the friction of the hooks I2 and I3 so as to start-the member I9 forwardly with respect to the body of the lure. This pulling force may be regulated to a nicety y positionsho and corrosion will have a minimum effect upon the continued operation of the parts.

It will be evident, from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3, that as the hooks move outwardly the curved back edges thereof soon reach the outer lends of the camtsurfaces 36 and 31, whereupon the pulll necessary to move-the parts into the irilig. 3, depends upon the curvature of the ba of the hooks andthe force of the] springs I8 'and 21, and not upon the shape of the lcam surfaces 3,6 and 31. It is evident that with a minor amount of force the hooks will be held in the projected position shown in Fig. '3, once they have reached that position.

AFrom the standpoint ofdesirable operation, it

may be necessary with certain types of lures to4 vary the shapes of the cam surfaces 36 and 31 and the relative strength of the springs I8 and 21. As a desirable feature for most purposes, however, these parts are so arranged vthat the pulling forcebetween thefline attaching element I9`and the body of the'lure necessary-to project the hooks isV practically as great at the beginning of the hook movement as it is at any point in the travel of the hooks outward;y

Therefore, any pull by a fish striking that would move the hooks out at all would normally project the hooks to'their fully activeposition, as shown in Fig. 3.

From the above description, it is believed to be clear that I have provided a lure of the weedless type wherein the hooks remain.Vv concealed or retracted throughout al1 normal casting and reeling in. The hooks arev projectible only upon the' application of a certain minimum pulling 'force between the linev and the lure, and this pulling force may be applied either by a fish striking or by the pull of the sherman against' a fish' which is merely holding the vlure'in its mouth. Ift therejis a strike and a miss the hooks will again be retracted so that the lure will not I, become snagged in reelingy in after aj missed strike. 'I'he slap of the lure against the water, or against a solid object `will not cause the hooks to project. This isl not a trigger -lurewhere the hooks are released by actuation `of a trigger mechanism. v

.As hereinabove stated, the shape and decoration of the base' IIl and cover II may be varied' in any desirable way. The cover II may be readily removedy since itis attached to the base I0 by three screws 43, 44 and 45, there being one screw at the back of the lure and two screws adjacent the front in the opposite sides of the member I9. The mechanical detailsof'the working parts of the lure may be varied ywithin the scope of the invention, asv will be readily understood. As shown, the hooks lI2 and 'I3 may be readilyreplaced bysimilar hooks, in the event they are broken "by detaching them from the,

arms 24 and 32. Similarly, the other parts of the lure, including the springs I8 and 21, may

also be readily replaced when the coverA II is removed.

` claim as new and aca'm member separating said hooks.'and opf positely directed cam portions on said member` for engagina the hooks, said cam member being movable lengthwise oi the body to project thel hook points and barbs from the body. and resilient means urging said hooks into overlapping` relation. oppositely disposed guide tracks on said body, and projections on said cam member and riding on said guide tracks.

2. In a lure of the character described, a lure body, a hook pivotally mounted thereon, a cam member engaging said hook, said cam member being movable lengthwise oi the body to project the hook point and barb from the body, resilient means urging said hook into said body, guide 5 member engaging said hook, said cam member being movable lengthwise of the body to project the hook point and barb from the body, resilient means urging said hook into said body. guide tracks on said body, and projections on lo said member and riding on said guide tracks,

said guide tracks being whollywithin the peripheral outline of said body.

EDWARD F. HOGAN- 

